LOOKING BACK @ STOUGHTON 1943: Town's whistle means only one thing: Black OUt

By David Allen Lambert

Wednesday

Mar 7, 2018 at 12:59 PMMar 7, 2018 at 12:59 PM

Stoughton news from the Stoughton News-Sentinel, March 4, 1943

The ARP signals sounded in Sunday’s blackout on the town’s whistle all mean the same thing to the householder: Black Out. There are no longer any warning signals or any whistles or sirens for All Clear. Anything you can hear means Keep it Dark. This is a safety measure in case a real night raid. All tests have shown that signals are likely to be misunderstood, and scores of lights have gone on when the Red signal sounded for strictest care. For this reason EVERY audible signal now calls for a blackout, and the All Clear will not be sounded by whistle. Homes will be able to pick up the All Clear from Radio Stations. In case of an actual raid, the radio will go off the air during the danger period and will come back on when danger is over, which will guide householders in their duties. Wardens on post duty must now make arrangements to be warned by friends with radios when All Clears are sounded.

The Stoughton Grange Home Garden Committee met at the home of the chairman, Ernest H. Gilbert, Plain Street, Wednesday and talked over plans for the sponsorship of home gardening in town, the coming season.

The many friends of “Dick” Fowler will be pleased to learn that he has been again advanced and is now a corporal. He is stationed at Shaw Field, S.C. A brother, Donald at Camp Pickett, Virginia, and a cousin at Pearl Harbor make up the family roster in the Army.

Miss Bertha Upham of Washington Street has returned from a visit with her brother Charles M. Upham, in Hartford, Conn. While there she and her nephew’s wife had a narrow escape from asphyxiation. The damper in the fireplace had been closed by a member of the household, believing the fire was out. Escaping fumes in the room came near proving fatal to Miss Upham.

Miss Catherine Capen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Capen of Park Street, is reported on the dean’s list for 1943, at Massachusetts State College at Amherst.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Thompson of W. Woodstock, Vermont, have welcomed a son. Mrs. Thompson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hinds of Pleasant Street.

Barbara Thompson has returned to her home in West Woodstock, Vt., after visiting with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Hinds.

The Congregational Church School will hold a party for the intermediate and senior departments at Groveside Moorings, 49 Grove Street, on Friday evening.

Servicemen’s NotesPrivate George Terrell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Terrell of Belmont Avenue, and who is serving in the U.S. Marines, has completed his middle range course, qualifying as an expert rifleman. Monday morning he was granted a 10-day furlough and left for Fort Brag, N.C. to take his final examinations for his entrance to West Point. Private Terrell passed his preliminary examination a few months ago at Taunton. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on December 14, 1942.

John Oldsman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Oldsman, has been called to active duty in the Army Aviation Corps, and is stationed at Atlantic City, N.J. He was graduated from Stoughton High School.

Word received from Robert O. Evans, corporal in the U.S. Marines, assures his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Evans of Park Street, he is well, somewhere in the South Pacific. His present address is Navy 605, c/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, California.

Harold A. Sprague, Jr., A.S.R., of the U.S. Coast Guard, is now stationed at Section Base, Morehead City, North Carolina.

Private Robert L. Pooler, who enlisted in the U.S. Army in October is now spending a 10 day furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernie E. Pooler of Morton Street, before reporting for active duty at Fort Devens. Private Pooler has been studying in the Signal Corps Company and Norwich University.

Anthony Paul Winfisky, 18, seaman second class, son of Mr. and Mrs. F.D. Winfisky, 1829 Central St., West Stoughton, has completed basic training at the Submarine School, Submarine Base, New London, Conn., for duty with our growing fleet of undersea fighters. The new submariner will be entitled to wear the twin dolphins insignia of the submarine service after further experience aboard a submarine, during which he must demonstrate to his commanding officer that he is fully qualified to carry out the duties of his rate. The insignia is regarded as a mark of distinction throughout the Navy. Winfisky was graduated from Stoughton High School in June, last year. He was cartoonist for the school paper and likes wrestling, swimming and diving. “I chose the sub service,” he said, “because I have a natural hankering for all underwater work and the training and duty are more specialized which allow faster promotion. The pay is better too.” He has been in the Navy since last September, and had recruit instruction at Newport, R.I., naval training station.

Mr. and Mrs. Tolman note 43rd Anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Tolman of Pleasant Street observed their 43rd wedding anniversary last Saturday, and also Mrs. Tolman’s birthday anniversary. They were married in Brockton, February 20, 1900. They have lived here for the past 35 years. Two daughters, Mrs. Paul Kunze of Plymouth and Hyannis, and Mrs. Fred Lowe of this town, and four grandchildren make up their family group.

David Allen Lambert is a local historian and the author of the illustrated history: Images of America Stoughton (2001), Vital Records of Stoughton to the end of the year 1850 (2008), and Postcard History of Stoughton (2009), and co-author with Brenda Lea Lambert of Stoughton in the 20th Century (2015). He is also a columnist writing a column for the paper on Stoughton history. David is vice president the Stoughton Historical Society. He is on Twitter @DLGenealogist.